Adjusting means for extrusion press die slide block



Nov. 15, 1960 D. A. KATKO 2,960,220

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EXTRUSION PRESS DIE SLIDE BLOCK Filed Sept. 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Daniel A.Kurko ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1960 KATKO 2,960,220

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EXTRUSION PRESS DIE SLIDE BLOCK Filed Sept. 17, 1959 4 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR Daniel A. Kmko ATTORNEY D. A. KATKO Nov. 15, 1960 ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EXTRUSION PRESS DIE SLIDE BLOCK Filed Sept. 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR Daniel A.K01ko W/J M ATTORNEY Nov. 15, 1960 0. A. KATKO 2,960,220

ADJUSTING MEANS FOR EXTRUSION PRESS on: suns BLOCK Filed Sept. 17, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Fig.4

, INVENTOR Daniel A.Kotko ATTORNEY ADJUSTING NEANS FUR EXTRUSION PRESS DIE SLmE BLOCK Filed Sept. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 840,575

3 Claims. (Cl. 207-1 This invention relates to an extrusion press arrangement wherein dies may be moved into and out of alignment with respect to a billet container by means of a horizontally movable die slide block. More particularly, the invention relates to apparatus for adjusting the guideways for the aforesaid slide block to correct for any misalignment of the die with respect to the billet container due to wear of the bearing surfaces on the aforesaid guideways.

In the usual extrusion press installation, a heated metal billet is inserted into a billet container having a die at one end, the arrangement being such that a billet is forced through the die by means of an extrusion mm which enters the end of the container opposite the die. In some cases, the die is fixed within a die block .at the exit end of the billet container; however, this arrangement is somewhat unsatisfactory since it does not facilitate easy removal nor quick interchanging of dies. In order to provide for easy removal and changing of dies, a die slide block is often included in the extrusion press assembly. Such a slide block consists of a horizontally movable bar having receptacles at either end into which dies may be inserted. Thus, when the slide block is shifted to a position where one die is in alignment with the billet container, the other die receptacle is moved to the side of the extrusion press where an operator may insert a new die. The new die may then be moved into alignment with the billet container while the previously used die and its receptacle move to the other side of the extrusion press where they are accessible to an operator, and so on.

Usually, the aforesaid die slide block is mounted within upper and lower guideways fastened to the tail stock or platen of the press. These guideways are provided with bronze wear strips or other similar means on which the slide block rides as it moves from one side of the press to the other. After a period of time, the wear strips will be reduced in thickness due to continued movement of the slide block thereon, resulting in a misalignment of the die with respect to the billet container. Previous to this invention, it was customary to realign the die by placing shims under the wear strips, or by replacing the wear strips; however, this procedure was cumbersome, ti 2- consuming and altogether unsatisfactory.

The present invention has as its principal object the provision of means in an extrusion press die slide block arrangement which facilitates quick and accurate adjustment of the slide block to compensate for wear of the aforesaid wear strips, or the inaccuracies resulting from the accumulated machining tolerances of the component parts. As will become apparent from the following detailed description, this object is effected by rendering the lower one of the aforesaid guideways adjustable in a vertical direction and by providing a pair of eccentrics rotatable within bores in the guideway itself or in blocks which abut the bottom surface of the guideway. In this manner, the guideway may be raised to compensate for wear or machining inaccuracies by merely turning the tar 2,950,220 Patented Nov. 15, 1960 eccentrics until the die comes into alignment with the billet container, and the necessity for shims or other cumbersome devices is effectively eliminated.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which:

Figure 1 is a partial side view of an extrusion press incorporating the die slide block of the present invention and illustrating the platen, billet container, housing assembly and associated parts of the press;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the portion of the extrusion press shown in Fig. 1 excluding a half section of the billet container and its housing assembly to show a portion of the die slide block;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along line III-III of Fig. l excluding the shear assembly and cylinders with associated parts that move the billet container assembly, but showing the die slide block of the invention in elevation; and

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line IVIV of Fig. 3 and including a portion of the billet container.

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the portion of the extrusion press shown includes a base member 10 on which is mounted a tail stock or platen 12. As is well known to those skilled in the art, the platen 12 is a large steel casting which serves to back up the extrusion press die during an extrusion operation and prevent it from moving laterally under the high extrusion pressures exerted. The platen 12 is connected by means of horizontally extending columns 14 to a head stock, not shown, which carries the main extrusion ram cylinder.

Slidable on guideways 16 provided on the base 10 is a billet container assembly 17. which comprises a generally annular metal forging 18 having a billet-receiving chamber 19 mounted in forging 18 and extending therethrough along its longitudinal axis. The container assembly 17 may be reciprocated on guideways 16 by means of hydraulic cylinders 20 which are connected to the container by means of piston rods 22. The extrusion die itself is carried in a die slide block 24 which reciprocates along a horizontal path extending perpendicular to the axis of container assembly .17. As shown, a pair of guideways 26 and 27 are positioned at the top and bottom of the slide block 24 to guide it along its horizontal path.

During an extrusion operation a die is first moved into alignment with the billet-receiving chamber 19 in container assembly 1'7. Thereafter, cylinders 20 move the container assembly to the left as shown in Fig. 1 until it abuts the die carried in the die slide block. A heated metal billet is then loaded into the chamber 19, with a dummy block behind the billet, by an advancing extrusion stem 28 which is forced into the end of the container opposite the die. In this manner, the previously softened billet will be extruded through the die to form an elongated extrusion which extends through a bore in platen 12 and out onto a run-out table, not shown. After the billet has been extruded the desired distance, the advancing stem 28 is stopped; and the container assembly 17 is moved to the right by cylinders 24) as shown in Fig. 1. In this process the remaining unextruded portion of the billet and the dummy block are pushed or stripped from the chamber '19 by the stopped stem 28. The trailing end of the extrusion is now exposed to the path of travel of a reciprocating shear 30 which is actuated by hydraulic cylinder 32. Thus, when the container assembly 17 is moved to the right and the butt and dummy block stripped therefrom, cylinder 32 will be pressurized; and shear 30 will travel downwardly to sever the extrusion from the butt of unextruded material and the dummy block which fuses to the butt. The sheared butt and dummy block drop into a chute, not shown, which directs them to the outside of the press where they are separated and the dummy block reused in subsequent cycles. In Fig. 4 the relative positions are shown of the stem 28, the dummy block D, the butt B, and the extrusion E.

Referring to Figs. 3 and 4, it can be seen that the guideways 26 and 27 are bolted to the platen 12 by means of bolts 34 and 35, respectively. In the case of the upper guideway 26, the bolts 34 will secure it to the platen in a fixed vertical position. The bolts '35 on the lower guideway 27, however, pass through enlarged bores 36 whereby the member may be adjusted in a vertical direction. A hydraulic cylinder 39 is connected through piston rod 38 to the die slide block 24 whereby it may be reciprocated on the guideways 26 and 27, substantially as shown. Each end of the die slide block 24 is provided with a die holder cavity or receptacle 40 and 42, respectively, each of which receives a die assembly 44. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that the die assembly includes a die 46 and a die back-up block 48, both of which are carried within an outer annular member 50. Behind the back-up block 48 is a bolster block 52 which also fits into the die holder cavity 40 or 42, as the case may be. It will be noted that the portion of the die assembly withing annular member 50 is separable from bolster block 52 is keyed thereto by means of a dowel pin 54 which slides into a keyway 56 provided in the bolster block 52. Chain books may be threaded into bores 58 and 60 provided in annular member 50 and bolster block 52 whereby the respective elements may be separately removed from the die holder cavity.

The inside surfaces of the upper guideway 26 are provided with bronze wear strips 62 and 64. Similarly, the inside surfaces of guideway 27 are also provided with bronze wear strips 66 and 68. As the die slide block 24 is reciprocated on wear strip 66, the latter member will be reduced in thickness, thereby lowering the die 46 and misaligning it with respect to the billet-receiving chamber 19 of billet container assembly 17. As was explained above, this condition was corrected previous to this invention by placing shims under the wear strip 66. This, however, was an unsatisfactory method since the correct thickness of the shims could be determined only by trial and error.

In accordance with the present invention, a pair of eccentrics 70 and 72 are provided in the lower guideway 27 to adjust its vertical position and thereby compensate for wear of the Wear strip 66. As shown, each of the eccentrics 70 and 72 comprises a first cylindrical portion 74 rotatable within a bore 76 in the face of platen 12 together with a second cylindrical portion 78 which rotates within a bore 80 provided in the guideway 27. As shown, the cylindrical portion 78 is ofiset with respect to portion 74 such that when the eccentric is turned, the guideway 27 will be moved upward or downward, depending upon the direction of rotation of the eccentric. Thus, a reduction in thickness of the wear strip 66 may be compensated for by merely turning the eccentrics 70 and 72.

It will be noted that since the eccentrics are received within bores in the lower guideway 27 itself, the guideway will not only have a vertical component of movement as the eccentrics are rotated but also a transverse or horizontal component. In some cases this condition may be harmful; and, accordingly, as an alternative, the eccentrics may be mounted in blocks 82 and 84 (Fig. 3) which are positioned below the guideway 27 and abut its lower surface. In this manner, as the eccentrics 86 and 88 within the blocks 82 and 84 are rotated, the blocks will have both a horizontal and vertical component of movement. Since, however, the blocks can slide on the lower surface of guideway 27, only the vertical component of movement will be imparted to the guideway during an adjusting operation. It is, of course, apparent that the bolts 35 in the lower guideway 27 will have to be loosened whenever an adjustment is made and thereafter tightened when the guideway is in the correct vertical position with respect to the center of the die 46 and the billet-receiving chamber 19 of container assembly 17.

The invention thus provides a means for easily and 4 accurately vertically aligning a die carried in a die slide block with respect to a billet container. Although the invention has been shown in connection with a certain specific embodment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes in form and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an extrusion press having a billet-receiving chamber adapted to receive an extrusion die at one end thereof as well as a structure on the side of the die opposite said chamber for backing up the die during an extrusion operation, a member slidable along a horizontal path between said chamber and said structure for moving a die into and out of alignment with said billet-receiving chamber, guideways at the top and bottom of said slidable member for guiding the same along a horizontal path, a pair of bores in one guideway of said guideways on either side of said chamber, cooperating bores in said structure, eccentrics each having a first cylindrical portion rotatable in a bore in said structure and a second cylindrical portion offset with respect to the first portion and rotatable in the bores in said one guideway, the arrangement being such that as the eccentrics are rotated in the bores in said structure, the said one guideway is moved in a vertical direction, transverse to the press axis thus adjusting the die axis with respect to said press axis, and devices for clamping the said one guideway in any position to which it has been moved by the eccentrics.

2. In an extrusion press having a billet-receiving chamber adapted to receive an extrusion die at one end thereof as well as a structure on the side of the die opposite said chamber for backing up the die during an extrusion operation, a member slidable along a horizontal path between said chamber and said structure for moving a die into and out of alignment with said billet-receiving chamber, gudeways at the top and bottom of said slidable member for guiding the same along a horizontal path, one guideway of said guideways being adjustable in a vertical direction transverse to the press axis, a pair of blocks abutting the side of said one guideway opposite said slidable member, bores extending through the blocks and having axes extending parallel to the axis of said die, cooperating bores in said structure having axes extending parallel to the axis of said die, eccentrics each having a first cylindrical portion rotatable in a bore in said structure and a second cylindrical portion oflset with respect to the first portion and rotatable in a bore in one of said blocks, the arrangement being such that as the eccentrics are rotated the blocks and the said one guideway will be moved in said vertical direction, thus adjusting the die axis with respect to said press axis, and devices for clamping said adjustable guideway in any position to which it has been moved by the eccentrics.

3. In an extrusion press having a billet-receiving chamber adapted to receive an extrusion die at one end thereof, a member slidable along a straight line path for moving a die into and out of alignment with the billetreceiving chamber, guideways for guiding the slidable member along its straight line path, at least one guideway of said guideways being adjustable toward and away from the slidable member, spaced eccentrics rotatable about axes extending parallel to the axis of said die for moving said one guideway toward and away from the slidable member, thus adjusting said axis with respect to the press axis, and devices for holding said adjustable guideway in any position to which it has been moved by the eccentrics.

(References on following page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Summey Sept. 30, 1919 Klages June 23, 1931 Fritzsch Apr. 6, 1943 6 Kropp Mar. 18, 1952 Billen Mar. 13, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 8, 1959 Germany May 6, 1959 

